Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address at inauguration of Bundelkhand Expressway at Jalaun in Uttar Pradesh
Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Bharat Mata ki – Jai! Jai Bundelkhand! It is my privilege to visit the birthplace of Ved Vyas and the land of Maharani Lakshmibai again. I am very happy. Namaskar!
Popular Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath ji, Deputy Chief Ministers of UP Shri Keshav Prasad Maurya ji and Shri Brajesh Pathak ji, my colleague in the Union Cabinet Shri Bhanupratap Singh ji who represents this region, ministers of UP Government, MPs, MLAs , other public representatives and my dear sisters and brothers of Bundelkhand,
Many congratulations and best wishes to the people of UP, to all the sisters and brothers of Bundelkhand, for the modern Bundelkhand Expressway! This expressway is dedicated to the glorious tradition of Bundelkhand. Being an MP of Uttar Pradesh, being a representative of Uttar Pradesh, I am extremely pleased in gifting this expressway to Bundelkhand which produced innumerable warriors, where the devotion towards India flows in the blood, where the valor and hard work of sons and daughters have always glorified the country.
Brothers and sisters,
I have been visiting Uttar Pradesh for decades. With the blessings of UP, all of you have given me the responsibility of working as the country's Pradhan Sevak for the last eight years. I always believed that if two important things are added to Uttar Pradesh, if its drawbacks are taken care of, then Uttar Pradesh will revive with greater strength to face the challenges. The first issue was the poor law and order situation here and I'm talking about the past. You all know what was the situation? And the second issue was poor connectivity in all respects. Today, the people of Uttar Pradesh have changed the entire picture of Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath ji. Law and order has also improved under the Yogi ji-led government and connectivity is also improving rapidly. Whatever work was done for modern means of transport in UP in the seven decades after independence, more work is being done today. I am asking you if it is happening or not? Is it happening or not? Is it visible or not? The Bundelkhand Express has not only reduced the distance between Chitrakoot and Delhi by about 3-4 hours, but its benefit is more than that. This expressway will not only give speed to the vehicles here, but it is also going to accelerate the industrial progress of the entire Bundelkhand. Many industries, including storage and cold storage facilities, are going to be established on both sides of this expressway. It will be very easy to set up agro-based industries in this region due to the Bundelkhand Expressway and it will be easy to transport the farm produce to new markets. This will also help a lot the Defense Corridor being built in Bundelkhand. In a way, this expressway is going to connect every corner of Bundelkhand with development, self-employment and new opportunities.
Friends,
There was a time when it was believed that only big cities had the first right on modern means of transport. Everything should be available to Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Delhi. But now with the change in the government, the temperament has also changed. Modi and Yogi together are moving ahead in a new way leaving the old approach behind. Equal priority has been given to small cities along with big cities in the connectivity projects which have been launched in Uttar Pradesh since 2017. This Bundelkhand Expressway is passing through Chitrakoot, Banda, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah. Purvanchal Expressway is passing through Lucknow as well as Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur. The Gorakhpur Link Expressway connects Ambedkarnagar, Sant Kabirnagar and Azamgarh. Ganga Expressway will connect Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj. You can see a huge force is being created. Every corner of Uttar Pradesh is ready to move at a fast pace with new dreams and resolutions, and this is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. Let no one be left behind and let all move forward together. The double-engine government is continuously working in this direction. Rapid work is underway for connecting small districts of UP with air service. In the recent past, new airport terminals have been built at Prayagraj and Ghaziabad. A new airport at Kushinagar has been made operational and work is going on for another international airport at Jewar, Noida. Efforts are being made to connect many more cities of UP by air route in the near future too. The tourism industry also gets a lot of strength from such facilities. I was going through the presentation of Bundelkhand Expressway before coming to dais here. I saw a module. There are so many forts beside this expressway. It is not only the fort of Jhansi, but there are several forts. Those who have visited foreign countries must be aware that there are several countries in Europe where a huge tourism industry thrives in the form of forts. People from across the world visit those places to see old forts. After the inauguration of the Bundelkhand Expressway, today I would urge Yogi ji's government to create a tourism circuit for these forts so that tourists from all over the world come here and see the potential of Bundelkhand. I would make another request to Yogi ji to organize a competition for the youth of Uttar Pradesh to climb the fort when the winter season starts. The route should not be the traditional one, but the toughest one. Organize a meet of the youth to see who climbs the fort first. You will see thousands of youth of Uttar Pradesh will join this competition and because of that people from different parts will come to Bundelkhand. They will stay in the night; will spend some money and a huge opportunity for livelihood will be created. Friends, an expressway gives rise to so many opportunities.
Friends,
The way UP is getting modernized under the double-engine government is really unprecedented. Remember friends, what I am saying. Will you remember? Raise your hand and tell me that you will remember. Will you remember for sure and tell people over and over again? In UP, it took 40 years to complete the Saryu canal project, Gorakhpur fertilizer plant was closed for 30 years, it took 12 years to complete the Arjun Dam project, there was only a board outside the Amethi rifle factory and the Rae Bareli Rail Coach Factory was not manufacturing coaches but was only decorating and refurbishing the coaches. Today, the infrastructure work is being done so seriously in UP that it has left even developed states behind, friends. Now the identity of UP is changing all over the country. Are you proud or not? Today UP is being glorified. Are you proud or not? Now the whole of India is looking towards UP respectfully. Are you enjoying it or not?
And friends,
It's not just about highways or airways. UP is progressing in every field, be it education, manufacturing, or agriculture. Remember what I am sharing with you now. Raise your hand and tell me that you will remember it. Earlier, an average of 50 km of rail lines was being doubled in UP every year. How many kilometers? Before the formation of our government, only 50 kilometres of railway doubling was being done in a year. The youth of my Uttar Pradesh should know how the future is shaped. Today an average of 200 km of rail line is being constructed every year. There were only 11,000 Common Service Centers in UP before 2014. Keep in mind the figure. How many? Eleven thousand! Today more than 1.30 lakh Common Service Centers are functioning in UP. Will you remember this figure? At one time there were only 12 medical colleges in UP. Remember the figure. How many medical colleges? Tell me aloud how many? Twelve medical colleges! Today there are more than 35 medical colleges in UP and work is going on for 14 new medical colleges. Look at the difference between 14 and 50.
Brothers and sisters,
The stream of development on which the country is moving today has two major aspects at its core. One is intention and the other is dignity. We are not only creating new facilities for the present of the country but are also building the future of the country. We are engaged in building 21st century infrastructure through the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
And friends,
Our commitment for development is such that we do not let the time limit overshoot. There are countless examples in Uttar Pradesh of how we complete the projects within the deadline. Our government started the work of beautification of Vishwanath Dham in Kashi and our own government completed it. Our government also laid the foundation stone of Gorakhpur AIIMS and it was also inaugurated by this government. Our government also laid the foundation stone of Delhi-Meerut Expressway and its inauguration was also done by our government. Bundelkhand Expressway is also an example of this. It was to be completed in February next year but it is ready for service 7-8 months in advance, my friends. Every family knows countless difficulties in the wake of Corona. In the midst of these difficulties, we have completed this project ahead of time. It is due to such works that every countryman realizes that the spirit with which he cast his vote is being respected in the true sense and is being utilized. I congratulate Yogi ji and his team in this regard.
Friends,
When I inaugurate any road, hospital or a factory, I have only one feeling that I respect the voters who formed this government, and therefore, I provide facilities to all the voters of the country.
Friends,
Today the entire world is looking at India with great hope. We are celebrating 75 years of our independence and making a roadmap for India for the next 25 years. And today when I have come to the land of Bundelkhand, to the land of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi, I make a request to the people of more than six lakh villages of India from this heroic land. The festival of independence that we are celebrating today is due to the sacrifices of our ancestors who suffered for hundreds of years. Therefore, it is our responsibility to make plans from now on. There should be several programs in villages till 15th August. The villages should draw plans to celebrate the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. Let us remember the heroes and freedom fighters and create an atmosphere in every village to take a new resolution. I make this request to all the countrymen today from this land of heroes.
Friends,
Today nothing should be done in India which is not related to the aspiration of the present and the better future of India. Every decision and policy should lay the grounds for accelerating the development of the country. We always have to keep away from anything that harms the country and affects the development of the country. India has got the best opportunity for development after 75 years of independence. We don't want to miss this opportunity. We have to do maximum development of the country in this period and take it to new heights and make a new India.
Friends,
There is also a huge challenge before the new India. If attention is not paid now, it can cause a lot of damage to the youth of India and today's generation. Your present will go astray and your future will be confined to darkness, friends. That's why it's important to wake up now. Nowadays, every effort is being made in our country to introduce the culture of collecting votes by distributing freebies. This culture of freebies is very dangerous for the development of the country. The people of the country and especially my youth need to be very careful of this freebies culture. The people following this culture will never build new expressways, airports or defense corridors for you. They feel that they will buy the people by distributing freebies to them. Together we have to defeat this approach and remove the freebies culture from the politics of the country.
Friends,
Instead of the freebies culture, we are working to fulfill the aspirations of the people by building roads and new rail routes in the country. We are building crores of pucca houses for the poor, completing unfinished irrigation projects for decades, constructing many small and big dams, setting up new electricity plants so that the life of the poor and the farmer becomes easier and the future of the youth of my country is not shrouded in darkness.
Friends,
It involves hard work and one has to dedicate himself to the service of the public. I am happy that wherever our double-engine governments are there in the country, they are working very hard for development. The double-engine governments are not adopting the shortcut of distributing freebies, but they are working hard to improve the future of the states.
And friends,
Today I will also tell you one more thing. Balanced development of the country and access to modern facilities even in small towns and villages also amounts to social justice in true sense. The people of eastern India and the people of Bundelkhand were denied facilities for decades. Today when modern infrastructure is being developed there, social justice is also being ensured. When development is taking place in the districts of UP, which were left on their own as backward, it is also a kind of social justice. Steps such as connecting villages with roads, providing cooking gas connection to every household, constructing pucca houses for the poor and building toilets will also strengthen social justice. The people of Bundelkhand are also benefiting a lot from the social justice initiatives of our government.
Brothers and sisters,
Our government is working continuously to mitigate another hardship of Bundelkhand. We are working on the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide piped water to every household. Under this mission, water connections have been given to lakhs of families of Bundelkhand. Our mothers and sisters have benefited a great deal because of this and their hardships have reduced. We are constantly making efforts to take the water of rivers in Bundelkhand to as many people as possible. Ratoli Dam Project, Bhavni Dam Project and Majhgaon-Chilli Sprinkler Irrigation Project are the result of such efforts. Thousands of crores of rupees have been approved for the Ken-Betwa Link Project. This is going to change the life of a large part of Bundelkhand.
Friends,
I would like to make another request to the friends of Bundelkhand. On the occasion of 75 years of independence, the country has taken a pledge to build Amrit Sarovars. Seventy-five Amrit Sarovar will also be built in every district of Bundelkhand. This is great work being done for water security and for the future generations. Today I urge all of you to come forward in maximum numbers to help in this noble cause. A village-to-village wire service campaign should be launched for Amrit Sarovar.
Brothers and sisters,
The cottage industries also have great potential for the development of Bundelkhand. This cottage industry tradition is also being emphasized by our government for AatmaNirbhar Bharat. Make in India is going to be empowered by this cottage industry tradition of India. Today I want to share an example with you and the countrymen as to how small efforts are making a huge impact.
Friends,
India has been importing toys worth crores of rupees every year from other countries of the world. Now you tell me that even small toys for little children were brought from outside. While toy making has been a family and traditional industry in India, it has been a family business. In view of that, I had urged the toy industry in India to work afresh. I also made an appeal to people to buy Indian toys. We did whatever was required to be done at the government level in such a short time. Today every Indian will be proud and this is an example of how the people of my country embrace the truth wholeheartedly. The result of all this was that today the number of toys coming from abroad has come down to a great extent. I express my gratitude to the countrymen. Now a large quantity of toys is being exported from India. Who has benefited from this? Most of our toy makers are poor, Dalit, backward and tribal families. Our women are also involved in making toys. All these people have benefited from this industry. Jhansi, Chitrakoot and Bundelkhand have a very rich tradition of toys. These too are being promoted by the double-engine government.
Friends,
The heroes of Bundelkhand, which is the land of warriors, have also hoisted the flag of victory on the playground. The country's biggest sports honor is now named after Major Dhyan Chand, the son of Bundelkhand. A sports university is also being built in his memory in Meerut, where Dhyan Chand ji spent a lot of time. Sometime back our daughter from Jhansi, Shaili Singh, also did a wonderful job. Shaili Singh, our daughter from Bundelkhand, has been creating new records in long jump and she also won a silver medal in the Under Twenty World Athletics Championship last year. Bundelkhand is full of such young talents. Our government is working in this direction so that the youth here should get a lot of opportunities to move forward, migration from here should stop and modern infrastructure should be built here. May UP continue to strengthen the new identity of good governance! With this wish, I congratulate all of you again for Bundelkhand Expressway. I again remind you that the Amrit Mahotsav of independence should be celebrated in every household of every village till August 15. Best wishes to all of you and thank you very much. Hail with full force Bharat Mata ki - Jai, Bharat Mata ki - Jai, Bharat Mata ki – Jai. Thank you very much.
DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.